POPE INVITES THOUSANDS OF YOUNG PEOPLE TO FOLLOW CHRIST

VATICAN CITY, APR 16, 2000 (VIS) - This morning in St. Peter's Square, John Paul II presided at the liturgical celebration for Palm Sunday in the presence of hundreds of thousands of faithful, mostly young people from all over the world who were participating in the 15th diocesan World Youth Day.

Prior to Mass, the Pope went to the obelisk in the middle of the square, from where he blessed the palms and olive branches decorating it. He then moved by car to the altar in front of the basilica for the celebration of the Eucharist.

In his homily, the Holy Father said, "annihilation and exaltation, this is the key to understanding the Paschal mystery, the key to penetrating God's admirable economy which is realized in the events of Easter."

The Pope affirmed: "God's mysterious plan of salvation, brought to fruition in the annihilation and exaltation of His only begotten Son, Jesus Christ (is) the response to the basic questions and misgivings present in all men and women, especially the young."

"In the drama of life," he continued, "you, dear youth, begin to gain experience. You ask yourselves about the meaning of existence, about your relationship with yourselves, with others and with God. Christ the Servant, suffering and humiliated, abased even unto death on the cross and exalted in glory at the right hand of the Father, offers Himself as the only true response to your hearts which thirst for truth and peace and to your many, perhaps anguished, questions and problems. In fact, there is no other answer so simple, complete and convincing."

After expressing thanks for the presence of so many young people at Mass, John Paul II recalled that, "with His entry into Jerusalem, Christ began His journey of love and pain in the Cross. Look to Him with a renewed impulse of faith. Follow him! He does not promise illusory happiness. Quite the opposite, in order for you to reach true human and spiritual maturity, he invites you to follow His example, making His committed choices your own."

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